Shadow of The Day
by Vampiratelady
Summary: Mai got into a link of trouble after accidentally meeting a criminal who thinks that she knows something she's not supposed to know. And apparently, she does. Thanks to her psychic ability to see the past, she saw a murder scene after touching the man she bumped into while walking in the street.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Alright, here I am again with a simple short story for my fellow readers and lovers of Naru-Mai ship. I hope you'll like this one. It's quite short but I'll eventually make the chapter longer as we move on with the story.

….

CHAPTER ONE

THE SILENCE

…..

Shibuya Kazuya was a man of few words. Yes. He rarely expressed himself no more than what's necessary, which not only irritated those around him, but also confused them more. Which is why he did it.

But today was different.

Today- as he glanced furtively across the room and to where his assistant sat- was unusually quiet and too damned peaceful. Not that he mind. However, he also couldn't help but wonder why the girl was simply not.. herself.

Not talking.

Not complaining.

Not grumbling something insulting under her breath.

Not paying attention to what he was saying.

Even the other members had noticed that she was rather impassive and distant for the past few days. Having a reputation of being callous and tremendously egoistic, Naru wondered why he was even trying to look for any clue as to what triggered such behavior. But as he glanced across the room for the second time, his eyes strayed to her hand which held the pen with more force than normal, clearly showing her state of distress.

"Mai." He said without thinking.

Brown eyes leaden with barely concealed anxiety looked back at him.

Naru paused. He should mind his own business. Yes. He probably should.. but then again, it was distracting to see her in such a way, and Naru doesn't like being distracted.

Yes. That was more comforting than thinking that he was worried about her.

"Ah, yes.." He said, his voice sounding more forceful and formal which belied the sudden uneasiness that he was currently feeling. Clearly, being around her was more dangerous than walking in a cursed house. "I'll take the rest." He gestured to the pile of papers on the coffee table. "You may go home if you want."

Mai looked back at the table and then took a deep breath before she stood without so much as a reply.

Naru watched her put the kitchen in order before she left the room; his mind- for the first time- was not engaged in a paranormal case, but rather in something he probably wouldn't want to investigate at all.

To be continued.

What is troubling Mai? How will Naru find out? Find out in the next chapter.

**Read and Review** please.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

**THE KEY OF HOPE**

'I should have stayed at the office," Mai thought, feeling weary and uneasy as she walked down the road in haste, never minding the fact that she collided with some of the people in her path. She didn't think that her day could get any worse. Well, from the looks of the looming dark mass of rain-filled clouds above the sky, the term 'cursed' would probably fit better than just 'bad luck'. Maybe dropping her lucky charm in that damned manhole was the reason for every mishap that was recently happening in her life.

The heavy rain started to fall. _Great._

Letting out a tired sigh, Mai squeezed her way through another crowd and nearly bumped with the man who swayed in front of her.

"Hey!" The man shouted angrily.

_What now?_ She took a deep breath and turned around impatiently, her hands raised apologetically. "I'm so sorry, sir but.. ouch!" Her eyes widened, her arm was suddenly yanked forward as the man pulled her close. The smell of alcohol and something else.. something brackish and metallic like.. like.

Her face suddenly paled, recognizing the smell of blood, then, her eyes went round with fear upon seeing the faint red color streaming on the ground and coming from his shoes. Abruptly, the image of a woman with her body tied on a chair and her head covered with a black cloth flashed into her mind. She was crying and pleading frantically.

"Please.. I'll do everything you want.. I'll do anything-

A shadow- of a man, swaggering ever so slightly- came into view, his teeth gleaming and curving into a wicked sneer. Then he raised something in his hand. It looked like a small sack soaked with blood dripping from its bottom.

"Do you know what happens to a traitor like you?" He said icily.

"No.. no.." The woman whimpered.

Mai was shaking now; the emotions of the woman flowing into her. Fear.

"_No!"_

Mai jerked her hand away just as the sight of the woman dropping on the floor, her throat slit into half and blood was flowing incessantly on the floor.

_Oh, god.._

She ran.

"Hey!" The man shouted.

She didn't stop, didn't look back until she rounded the corner of the street and into a less crowded area of the city. Good, he didn't follow her.

_What the hell was that?.._

She took a deep gulp and gripped her forearms tightly, her nails digging almost painfully on her skin.

The vision was without a doubt a paranormal reaction that came from the physical contact with someone involved in a recent crime; the vision wouldn't come crashing into her with such force and intensity if it wasn't. But the one who channeled the vision into her was not the woman because the vision would have turned green after she was killed.

So, who sent her that vision? Mai thought.

There was someone else there and whoever that person is, he's still alive.

She had to call the police. But after grabbing nothing but air- her shoulder bag suddenly missing- Mai cursed viciously under her breath.

Great. She must have dropped it when she ran.

She paused, trying to remember where, but then again she would have felt it, unless the man took it when he yanked on her arm.

Oh, no.. her shoulders slumped.

Dear god, what kind of trouble have I gotten into?

….

He had to get out, but the rusty gate wouldn't budge. That bastard must have locked it on the other side. His dainty fingers slipped just as his hope was the very minute he realized he was truly trapped in this warehouse. There was a small window for ventilation but it was too high and there was nothing to step on for him to reach it. Climbing the walls was nothing if not a stupid thing to do because it was made of thick and solid concrete. Apparently, praying for someone to save him was not going to work because no one knew this place aside from those mafias who killed his brother and sister, and probably would kill him too if they found out that he was hidden in here.

"Onee-chan." He whispered, but his call was futile for his sister lay in a puddle of blood- her body in the same kind of sack where they crammed his brother after killing him in cold blood.

He turned around, his back against the door as he slowly slipped to the floor in a heap of tired limbs and bruised skin. He started humming, for there was nothing else to do but wait for his death.

He wondered how long it would take them to find out that he was not back in the house or anywhere for that matter. They would wait until night fall before they came back to bury the dead body of his sister in order to avoid the risk of getting caught by anyone. Then, they will bring out the dozen packs of illegal drugs and give them to their distributors and to the hidden link of flash houses in the city.

There's probably at least four hours left before that happens.

And what else is there to do other than kill yourself and save the torture until you reached hell. Unless he could escape.

Slowly, he took the small key from his pocket and wondered why he was even trying to be optimistic.

He rolled the key between his fingers absentmindedly. Well, ever since he got the small thing, he seemed to change his perception of the future. That there was still a chance that god would take pity on him. Even, now he was still nurturing some hope that someone would come and save him. Even a divine intervention seemed believable even though he stopped praying a long time ago.

He looked at the key once again, wondering why he felt odd the very first time he touched it and still does. When he hid in the manhole a few days ago so that he could avoid the mafias when they came barging into the house, he accidentally stepped on the small thing. It was nothing special; it couldn't even be sold for all its worth, but it looked oddly clean from the rest of the baubles and garbage inside the tunnel. So he took it and felt even more odd when he felt suddenly at ease because spent his whole life running from debtor's prison or the mafias whom his father borrowed a large amount of money from in order to pay his debt after losing two hundred thousand at the card table. That was the only thing he could do to earn money after being labeled a wanted man for killing his adulterous wife.

They were always sleeping with one eye open- always looking over their shoulder- always living with one foot in the grave. Never did he feel safe or at ease in his whole life except when his sister sung to him a lullaby. So, he kept the trinket and wondered if it was a sign.

God, he desperately hoped it was..

…

To be continued.

Reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

...

The sky looked dreary with the dark and ominous clouds rambling all over the busy district of Shibuya. Yet in spite of the forlorn cast of the day, it was nothing compared to the heavy atmosphere inside the office.

Naru ran his hand through his hair, a clear sign that something was off, else he wouldn't be standing so tense as though something unknown would leap from the shadows. Frustrated, he hoped something would and that he'd have something to vent his restlessness.

"Naru." Lin strode inside and gave him a questioning glance before he placed a brown envelope on the desk. It was the case that they've postponed due to some inexplicable reason that the client didn't want to divulge. They were about to investigate the old town house that the client sold on lease. Apparently, the lodgers were gravely disturbed after witnessing a series of paranormal activities which started to happen whenever they tried to replace or move any furniture or change any furnishing inside the house.

After gathering the preliminary information about the case, they began the investigation and tried to look for clues as to what triggered those strange events. However, after a few days, their client decided to cancel the investigation and said that it's probably better to leave the house as it is. The lodgers having been both angered and relieved at the prospect of leaving the house went back to look for a new place to live.

"There's something bothering me about that house." Lin said but before he could elaborate, the telephone rang, and he went to answer it with a brief 'hello'. Straightening, his now alert eyes shot to Naru's direction.

"No. She's not here." He said before pausing to listen to what the caller was saying. Naru pushed himself away from the window, the word 'she', apparently, was in reference to Mai.

The young manager watched with intense concentration as Lin placed the phone back on its holder.

"It's Taniyama-san." The man said, confirming it with a disquiet note in his tone. For a man who's been adept at controlling his emotions, Naru found it quite startling to hear Lin speak in anything but composed.

He stiffened at the thought. It could only mean one thing. "What about her?"

"Takigawa-san said she's hasn't arrived home yet."

"What about Matsuzaki-san?" Naru looked at the heavy pouring rain and felt the uneasiness inside him grow upon every passing second, though he forced himself to stand still and not charge outside to look for his troublesome assistant while Lin swiftly dialed some buttons.

He knew something was wrong. And he knew better that nothing good would come from ignoring his instincts. But he was distracted, or better yet troubled with the notion of getting himself emotionally involved with matters that hardly matter before.. until now.

Turning around with an impatient scowl, Naru looked at Lin.

"Mai didn't go to her place."

Naru stood there, not responding, just absorbing the information while his mind was busily searching and laying out possible routes and plans. After a few seconds, he strode to the kitchen and opened the drawers and cabinets until he saw the notebook where Mai jotted down notes and recipes that Madoka shared with her whenever she happened to visit or call. The two had the same fondness for sweets. But apparently, they knew better than to make him their test subject. After that, Lin had badgered him to prohibit the use of sugar in any way but the smallest of dose.

"What are you doing?" Lin grabbed his arm, halting him.

"The sooner we find her the better." Naru stared the other man down, challenging him to dare and stop him.

Reluctantly, Lin let go, realizing that at this point searching for Mai in such a large place would take hours and they couldn't afford that, not if they want to see her safe and sound. Letting out a resigned sigh, Lin narrowed his eyes threateningly. "Be careful."

Naru raised a brow but refrained from saying anything. Then, he placed his hand over the notebook and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Oh, blast it!" Mai exclaimed in frustration and kicked the large block of stone that caused her to trip on her way to the police station. Annoyed and frustrated beyond bearing, she heaved herself up and dusted her muddy clothes which only made the stains worst.

Oh well, they might not believe her for unwrapping a murder scene, psychically that is, but now, they would surely believe that a madman was following her- what's with her dirty and crumpled attire and all.

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice said from behind her.

Biting back a hot retort, Mai spun, ready to release her anger on someone- anyone. "Do I look like-

Mai stopped. S o did the other guy.

"Mai?" The stranger said in wonderment.

"Eh?" She muttered, confused and unable to reply upon such cheerful greeting.

The man laughed at her disgruntled expression. "You don't remember me at all, do you?"

"Err.." She started in hesitation, the mad killer temporarily forgotten at the face of this unexpected reunion. Then, she looked at his face- the stern cast of his green eyes and those dark curly locks. It triggered something in her mind.

"Wait." She blurted out. When the memory became elusive, she looked back at the man and found him staring back at her with hopeful eyes. Embarrassed, she gave a discreet cough. "Err.. let me try again." She concentrated on those green eyes and squinted her own into small slits until her head started to hurt from the effort.

Giving up, she scratched her head. "Umm.."

The man chuckled. "Yeah. That sounds like the Mai I know."

Mai frowned, dumbfounded. Why does that sound like an insult?

"Well?" He shrugged with an encouraging smile on his lips. "Should I give a clue?"

She gave a small nod.

He placed his finger against his chin. And after a few seconds of contemplation, his eyes brightened as an idea formed to mind. Then he smiled at her. A smile that stretched those cheeks wide. And those dimples..

"Oh, god." Her hand shot to her gaping mouth. An image of a small boy smiling at her, one tooth missing from those perfectly aligned teeth flashed into her mind. Another memory came flashing back to her, of those same green eyes that glinted with laughter as they played catch-the-ball at her parent's house.

"Hayato?" She said in astonishment.

"And here I thought you wouldn't remember." He said with a sigh. "Really, Mai. Can't you give an old friend a hug?"

She smiled bashfully before she threw her arms around him and pounded his chest with her small fists. "You rascal. You didn't even write to us!"

Hayato was like a big brother to her. He's the son of the neighbor that lived not far from their house. Rebellious and too obnoxious, he was a constant headache to his grandfather who took care of him. His parents were living abroad back then. Mai's mother saved him once. She leapt to his rescue after he nearly fell to the river where he used to play. Hayato's grandfather, a kind and patient old man, was so grateful that he insisted to pay for her daughter's hospital bill. He was a force to be reckoned once he insisted on something, and Mai's mother didn't have it in her heart to refuse because they were, after all, a family with humble, if not pitiable, circumstances.

Then, her mother decided to take care of him once in a while in order to return the old man's favor. That's the time they met each other. Hayato's grandfather took him to the hospital for a visit. Having been enchanted by her mother's kindness and motherly affection, Hayato became attached to her and jealous, at first, at Mai for being fussed over when she was sick. He said that she was playacting so that she could get all of her momma's attention.

"What happened to you?" She pushed him slightly away and examined him from head to toe. But before he could reply, someone yanked him behind.

"What-

Mai would've fallen to the ground if not for the hands that steadied her. Looking back, her eyes widened upon seeing the dark familiar face of her boss. As usual, she couldn't seem to catch her breath whenever she looked at him. And at such a close proximity, Mai nervously looked away, wondering if he saw her expression. That won't do. He already rejected you. If only her heart knew that as well.

But Naru was busy staring at the man whom Bou-san had tackled to the ground. But failed, embarrassingly so.

"O-ow! You madman!" The monk cried out. Having been tossed, face first to the hard textured floor. His arms were yanked behind him in a tight clasp and Bou-san struggled more in a vain attempt to kick his imprisoner back.

"You savage brute! I'll have you arrested for this!" He shouted in continued forays of struggles and curses. "Accosting a monk, you insolent pup, is punishable by hanging!"

"Oh, dear." Mai murmured, half amused and half appalled at the commotion they were causing. People started to stare; some even had the nerve to take a picture. If they didn't stop those two who knows what kind of attention they were likely to get. She didn't want to end up in the headline news of the television or the newspaper.

She glanced at her enigmatic boss. His devil-may-care-look said it all. That he didn't give a fig if those two killed each other. But still, it wouldn't hurt to try. "Umm. Aren't you going to stop them?"

Naru's only response was a casual shrug before he started to walk to the opposite direction. Having forgotten that he held her, Mai nearly stumbled at the sudden loss of his touch. Was she leaning into him that much?

Ugh. Mai.. she chided herself.

Cheeks flaming, Mai looked back at the two fighting and snarling men. Then, her jaw dropped.

They were in the middle of the street, with dragons and tigers at each side for effect. The cars were honking to them as it passed by. A driver of a cab leaned out of his window and cursed at them to get out of the street.

Appalled, Mai didn't bother to close her mouth. What the heck is this?

"It's anime." She jumped, startled, her mouth clamping shut and ended up cutting her lip. Cursing, she glanced at her side. There, standing calmly was Lin. He glanced at her once before he walked away, probably to follow his boss. Well, that was just creepy.

Mai let out a tired sigh before she went over to Bou-san and pulled him away from her friend, then giving each of their heads a loud smack, she practically dragged them away.

"Tch." A man, standing and hiding not far away, scowled at the scene before he went away as well.

To be continued..

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Sorry for the long wait, but I was quite busy with school. You know how school is, they eat your time and your mind like ants on a sweet morsel. But here's an update if you guys still want one. However, the plot is progressing rather slowly but we'll eventually come to a definite conclusion. I want to add a character- more like a rival for Mai's affection. And bwalah! Here's Hayato, Mai's childhood friend. Apparently, he will have an important role in the suspended case that Naru has taken which is also connected to the missing boy in our first chapters. Of course, I didn't create him just to spite Naru. But hey, that's the biggest reason so far. :)

Anyway, thank you for all the reviews!

-Vampiratelady


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